30 October 2013

WHOLE WHEAT CHOCOLATE BURFI

This is one such easy to prepare Diwali sweet. For those who do not prefer adding APF / Maida to thr sweets can def try this whole wheat chocolate burfis.

They turned gooey, softy and more so chocolateyyy.. Chocolate lovers should def try this.
What you need:
Condensed Milk - 200 gms
Butter - 30 gms
Chocolate - 30 gms, chopped
Cocoa Powder - 1/4 cup
Whole Wheat Flour - 1/4 cup
Lightly roasted nuts n dry fruits - 1/2 cup
For greasing the tray - Ghee

How to make:
Lightly dry roast the flour until it turns slightly brown in color and dry roast the nuts n dry fruits and keep it aside.

Melt butter in a heavy pan add in condensed milk, cocoa powder, nuts n dry fruits and mix well in low flame until it leaves the pan. 

Add chopped chocolate and stir it well for a min and spread immediately on the greased tray. 

Sprinkle more nuts and dry fruits cool it for an hour slice into pieces and enjoy!!

28 October 2013

NADA PAKODA / OLA PAKODA

Another Easy and quick Diwali snack Nada Pakoda / Ola Pakoda. Made it spicy with adding garlic powder.
What you need: Recipe Soruce - Spicy Treats
Rice Flour - 1.5 cups
Gram flour - 3/4 cup 
Butter - 2 tbsp
Red Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Garlic powder - 3/4 tsp
Cumin Powder - 1/4 tsp
Hing gen pinch
Sesame Seeds - 1/2 tbsp (skipped)
Salt as reqd
Oil 

How to make:
Sift rice flour and gram flour and add melted butter to it.

Except oil add all other ingredients to the above mixture mix well add water as reqd and make into soft dough and divide into equal portions.

Heat oil for frying  and squeeze using the achu once done remove from oil and drain on tissue once cooled store in air tight container and enjoy with cup of chai.

27 October 2013

TUTTI FRUTTI MAIDA BURFI

Another quick Diwali sweet which can be made in a jiffy. Made this one for my niece so added tutti frutti to it instead of nuts.

Without any second thot made this sweet immediately once Priya jee posted it.
What you need:
1/2 cup - All purpose flour / Maida
1 cup - Sugar
1/4 cup - Ghee
3 tbsp - Water
Few saffron strands
Tutti Frutti / Nuts 

How to make:
In a pan heat half of the ghee and fry maida until nice aroma comes and set aside.

In another pan make one string sugar syrup with water to tis add saffron strands.

Add sugar syrup to the roasted maida mixture add remaining ghee, mix well no lumps should be there add tutti frutti and cook till the mixture gets off from the vessel.

Pour in a greased plate level it and sprinkle some more tutti frutti on top cool it and and slice it.

23 October 2013

MANGO CUSTARD POWDER HALWA

Mango Custard Powder Halwa a super quick and easy to make sweet. Try it for this Diwali. 

Could not wait to try this halwa once i saw it on Priya Jee's blog.
What you need:
1/2 cup - Mango flavoured custard powder
1 + 1/2 cup - Sugar
2 tbsp - Desi ghee
10 nos each - Cashews and Badam (chopped)
2 cups - Water
 How to make:
Take the custard powder,sugar and water, mix well without any lumps.

Transfer this mixture to a heavy bottomed pan, cook in low heat until mixture thickens.

Add the chopped nuts, ghee and cook till halwa gets off from the vessel, transfer to greased plate and sprinkle more nuts on top and cut into desired shapes once it cools down and enjoy!!  

21 October 2013

OMAM POONDU MILAGU KUZHAMBU

Omam / Ajwain has n number of health benefits and this is one such kuzhambu my grand mom prepares weekly once during my childhood days.

It helps indigestion disorders mainly. Sending this recipe to Tamizhar Samayal Tuesday.
What you need:
Manathakkali Vathal - 1tsp
Tomato Paste - 1/4 cup
Pearl onions - 4 nos
Garlic - 4 nos
Toor dhal - 1/2 tsp
Red chilli - 1 no
Tamarind paste - 1 /2 tsp
Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Gingelly Oil - 1 tbsp
Salt as reqd
Asafoetioda as reqd
Turmeric powder - pinch

To be dry roasted and ground to smooth powder:
Omam - 1 tsp
Black Peppercorns - 1 tsp
Urad Dhal - 1 tsp
Toor Dhal - 1 tsp
Channa Dhal - 2 tsp
Coriander seeds - 1 tsp
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp


How to make:
Heat oil in a kadai add mustard seeds once it cracks add toor dhal, red chilli saute well add manathakkali vathal curry leaves saute well and add pearl onions, garlic add salt, turmeric powder mix well.

Now add 1 cup water, tomato paste, tamarind paste mix well and let this boil for 5 mins or until raw smell goes.

Add the ground powder mix well and cook for another 4 - 5 min or until the kuzhambu thickens.

Serve with hot rice or any breakfast dishes.

14 October 2013

RAGI SAMBAR IDLI

Love towards whole grain has made me try different combination of idlies and this simple ragi and brown rice idli is one such.. Bored of idlies with chutney so made hotel style sambar and turned into mini sambar idlies..
What you need:
Brown Rice - 2 cups
Whole Ragi - 1 cup
Urad Dhal - 1 cup
Methi seeds - 1/4 tsp
Salt as reqd

How to make:
Grind bown rice, ragi and urad dhal seperately and add salt mix well and let it ferment.

Pour into mini idlie moulds and rest aside.

What you need for sambar:
Any / Mixed vegetable - 1 cup
Toor dhal - 1/2 cup
Onion - 1 no
Tomato - 1 no
Green Chilli - 2 nos
Tamarind paste - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder as reqd
Sambar powder - 2 tsp
Asafoetida gen pinch
Salt as reqd
Oil - 2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp

To dry roast and grind to smooth paste with water:
Red chillies - 4 nos
Coriander seeds - 2 tsp
Channa dal - 1 tsp
Coconut - 2 small pieces
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Black Pepper - 1/2 tsp
Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp
Coriander leaves - 1 sprig

How to make:
In a pressure pan cook toor dhal with turmeric powder, tomatoes, green chillies for 5 hisses and mash them well once they cool down.

In a pan heat oil add mustard seeds once it cracks add curry leaves onion saute well add veggies, salt, asafoetida and cook in a cup water for 4 mins.

Add tamarind paste, sambar podi and cook for another 5 mins. Now add the paste more water and cook for 2 mins add dhal mixture add more water if reqd let it boil for 2 mins add chopped coriander and switch off the flame.

In a small plate place the ildies add enough sambar so they are well soaked add finely chopped onions and coriander and serve hot!!

10 October 2013

SOYA MANCHURIAN - DRY VERSION

Soya Manchurian an exotic side dish which pairs well with any variety rice or indian breads. Recipe from here inspired me to prepare this yummy dish for Saturday's dinner with phulkas, green salad and litchi juice..
What you need:
Soya chunks - 1 cup, boiled in salted water and drained
Cornflour - 2 tbsp
Green chilli paste - 1 tsp
Onions - 1 cup, chopped 
Ginger - 1 tsp, grated
Garlic - 1 tsp, finely chopped
Green chilli sauce - 1 tbsp
Tomato ketchup - 2 tbsp
Dark soy sauce - 1 tsp
Spring onion greens 
Salt as reqd
Oil - 3 tbsp + 1 tsp
How to make:
In a bowl add soya chunks, cornflour, 1/2 tsp ginger, 1/2 tsp garlic, green chilli paste mix well and let it marinate for 10 mins.

In a shallow pan add 3 tbsp oil and add the marianted soya chunks and cook till they turn crispier.

In the same pan add 1 tsp oil sauté onions, balance ginger and garlic, soy sauce, green chilli sauce, tomato ketchup mix well and add 2 tbsp water and bring to boil.

Add soya chunks, salt and mix well. Garnish with spring onion greens and serve hot!!

08 October 2013

CHETTINADU MOCHAI KUZHAMBU

This chettinad style mochai kuzhambu is a must try recipe it tastes great with hot rice and any breakfasts. So its a all in one kuzhambu serves for the whole day.
What you need:
Mochai Kottai - 1 cup (boiled)
Shallots / Chinna Vengayam - 10 nos
Garlic - 6 pods
Onion - 1 no
Tomato - 1 no
Tamarind paste - 1 tsp
Kuzhambu powder - 3 tsp
Asafoetida 
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp
Red Chillies - 1 nos
Curry leaves 
Gingelley Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt as reqd

To roast and ground to fine paste:
Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Pepper corns - 1 tsp
Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp
Garlic - 2 pods
Dry Red Chillies - 3 nos

How to make:
Heat oil in a kadai, add mustard seeds let it splutter add curry leaves, red chilli, fenugreek seeds saute well then add onion, garlic and shallots saute well. 

Add tomatoes mix well and cook till it softens add 2 cups water, tamarind paste, salt and let this boil for 4 mins.

Now add the ground paste, asafoetida, kuzhambu powder and boiled mochai kottai and let this boil for approx 10 mins or until the gravy thickens. 

01 October 2013

BANANA FLOWER CHOPS

I adore banana flower and some one cleans it for me nothing like it that brings smile in me. The road side vegetable vendor had one pkt full of cleaned banana flower for one of his customer who did not turn up to pick it so me went lucky. 

Love making paruppu usuli with this veggie instead made chops with banana blossom for a evening snack it came out so well and tasted great. 

What you need:
Banana flower - 2 cups(Cleaned, chopped n boiled with salt n ground to paste)
Roasted gram - 1 cup or more
Ginger - 1 tsp (grated)
Green chilli paste - 2 tsp 
Cumin powder - 1/4 tsp
Fennel powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt as reqd
Oil to fry

How to make:
In a bowl add banana blossom paste, ginger, green chilli paste, cumin n fennel powder add salt mix well. 

Add roasted gram powder as reqd mix them well so that you are able to hold it. 

Deep fry and serve hot with some spicy onion tomtato chutney.